Basic Research Articles in the Journal of the Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons from 1974 to 2011

This editorial is an overview of the articles published in the history of the Journal of the Korean Society of Plastic and Recon-structive Surgeons (JKSPRS), the antecedent of the Archives of Plastic Surgery (APS), since its first issue in 1974. The main role of a scientific journal should be to deliver cutting edge information and update readers with the latest reports and articles within its diverse field of interest. JKSPRS has been providing its readers with an abundance of articles, not only in the form of clinical reports and studies, but also as basic research articles, related to plastic and reconstructive surgery. The phrase " Plastic Surgery " may mislead some to assume the journal to be a clinically oriented paper, but the numerous research topics it encompasses prove otherwise. This diversity in clinical and basic research studies in the journal enhances its status as a comprehensive concentration of knowledge in the field of plastic and reconstructive surgery. This article focuses on the basic research studies published in the 35-year history of JKSPRS, the antecedent of APS, and categorizes these by time period, analyzing the proportion that basic research has occupied. The term " basic research article " is defined here as those studies based on procedures performed in the laboratory, such as cell cultures, animal studies, or anatomical measurements. Any studies based on clinical procedures or experiences, or clinical studies involving patients were not classified as basic research. All articles published in the JKSPRS from its first issue in 1974 to 2011 were analyzed [1], and for convenience's sake, each decade has been termed by its distinguishing characteris-The Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons (KSPRS) was first established in 1966, and the premier issue of its official journal was published in 1974 under the name the Journal of the Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons (Fig. 1). This issue raised the curtain with an article entitled " The effect of antimacrophage serum on the survival of skin allograft " [2]. The following study, " Experimental studies on burn toxin " [3] was an experimental paper also, signaling that basic research was to be a fundamental component of this journal. Of the total of 495 articles published during the first decade after its birth (until 1985), 121 articles were experimental studies , comprising 24 percent. The topics included the following: microvascular circulation and blood vessels in 23 articles, …